12/30/11

While Indianapolis is known as a big racing and sports town, it is also home to the largest veteran's memorials outside of Washington DC. Many drive by and don't know that The Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District has two museums. Here are some pictures from my visit today.

The first is the Indiana War Memorial Museum, of which the cornerstone was laid in 1927.

The building itself is incredible, the lobby shown below.

The museum has an amazing collection of battle flags, along with other displays.

The auditorium is a work of art in itself.

Up the stairs leads to the Shrine Room, above the auditorium.

The Shrine Room has to be seen in person, truly breathtaking. The ceiling is 110 feet tall and has 24 pillars, to get an idea of it's size.

The other museum is the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum, located inside the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. This monument, dedicated in 1902, is a symbol of Indy, still decorated with Christmas lights here.

The museum, while not a large one, gives a good look at the Civil War.

The Soldiers and Sailors monument has an observation level which gives a great view of the city, looking north toward the Indiana War Memorial in this photo. You can either walk the stairs to the top, or ride the elevator.

12/28/11

We visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago today. My favorite part of the visit was an on-board tour of the U-505 German submarine which was captured by the US Navy during WWII. The museum is well worth a visit, and here are a few pictures from the day.